Strategies For Contributing To Team Projects Quickly

How to learn something fast when nobody else around you has the full context or the time to guide you? I face this challenge every time I start a new project. Navigating ambiguity and gaining historical context in a short period of time can be challenging, but are often required for product managers. Here are 5️⃣ strategies I’ve tried and worked: [1] Seek knowledge from multiple sources Reach out to different team members, stakeholders, and SME to gather their perspectives and insights. Each individual may hold a piece of the historical context, and by triangulating information from various sources, you can start forming a more complete picture. [2] Find the experts to do a “knowledge dump” & focus on building relationships Identify key team members who have the most historical context. Schedule a knowledge-sharing session with them and be a sponge. Establish mentorship or buddy relationships with these experts. Encourage open dialogue to uncover crucial information and gain a shared understanding. This is seriously the best 80/20 way to learn. [3] Conduct thorough document reviews Go through any available documentation, including research plans, reports, meeting minutes, and previous strategy docs. These documents can provide valuable insights into the project's evolution, decisions made, and key milestones. Look for patterns and recurring themes to identify critical aspects. Crunch on time? Turn on accessibility mode and let the documents “speak” to you during commute or ask in-house AI tools (security and privacy granted) to summarize them for you. [4] Be curious, ask questions, and take notes This sounds basic, but it’s actually very effective. The most basic questions are sometimes the most important ones and worth documenting to help create leverage for your new project or product area. These unfamiliar terms, acronyms, or concepts? Make an organized FAQ. Create a centralized repository where you record key research insights, milestones, important decisions, and other contextual information. This will serve as a reference point for you and others in the future and your eagerness to learn will help you shine and build credibility with the new team. [5] Embrace a learning mindset. Prioritize and adapt. Approach the ambiguity with a learning mindset, recognizing that you won't have all the answers immediately. Embrace chaos as an opportunity to learn and be open to adjusting your understanding as you gain more context. Seek feedback and validation from others to ensure accuracy. Identify the most critical areas where historical context is essential, such as understanding dependencies, risks, or ongoing challenges. Prioritize your efforts accordingly to address those areas first, while being adaptable and open to refining your understanding as new information emerges. #ProductManagement #Careers #Leadership

I used to get imposter syndrome whenever I started a new role. After 14 years, I follow this same strategy for ramping up with a new team. This is my "First 90 Days" game plan as a new design hire: 1. Dig into the knowledge-share 2. Get in front of everyone you might work with 3. Create a personal backlog of small bets 4. Plant a seed for what you'd like to be known for 5. Grab an oar and start rowing 1. LEARN: Dig into the knowledge-share Recurring meetings, email distros, Slack channels - that's the easy stuff. What you need to find out is where the research and planning documents live: relevant PRDs, competitive analyses, company forecasts, and roadmaps. Your goal is to pour through these documents to build your POV about the business. Designers often skip this step and go straight to the design assets. Don't make this mistake. 2. MEET: Get in front of everyone you might work with Don't hide away with your team! Pop 30 minutes on the calendars of Product Leadership, Product Management, Marketing, Engineering, Sales, Support, Growth, HR, and whomever else you might share a Zoom meeting with in the next 12 months. Get to know them, let them know what you'll be working on, and ask how you might be of service down the road. These casual introductions can turn into key alliances the next time you're advocating for improved research infrastructure or a front-heavy workshop. 3. PLAN: Create a personal backlog of small bets There is always room for improvement. Look out for opportunities to improve efficiency (communication standards, engineering handover, research methods, velocity roadblocks). Document these quietly. This list will change as you learn more. Once you're settled in, you may be tasked with an initiative that pairs well with one of your small bets. That will be the time to take a risk and add more value - warts and all. 4. CULTIVATE: Plant a seed for what you'd like to be known for If a co-worker were asked about your superpower, what would you like them to say? For me, it's open collaboration. I make it a point to seek the opinions of cross-functional partners and bring to life the ideas of sales folks and support teams. For you, it might be quality. Or reliability. And it can be all of these things over time. For now, pick one area that you'd like to stand for. Make it a point to excel in this area, and grow from there. 5. CONTRIBUTE: Grab an oar and start rowing You were brought onto this team to contribute, and they sure need your help. You may be the change agent destined to 10x velocity and revenue, but for now, it's "heave ho!" Finding ways to contribute to planned, small wins in the first 90 days is a great way to build early trust. Plus, it'll provide you with ideas for working smarter and building faster. The shape of work at each company varies, but going into a new role with preparedness is the best way to combat imposter syndrome.

Starting a new AE or SE role? Here’s how to think like (and become) a top performer: Most people passively go through onboarding. They show up, check the box, and wait for next steps. But it’s a massive mistake 😅 The first impression you make becomes your brand. Start strong, or spend months trying to change their minds. You want to start contributing as quickly as you can. Here’s how: (1) 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Dive into all available resources before anyone asks you to. Don’t wait for someone else to remind you or assign something to you. Prioritize what your manager tells you, and then go above and beyond. (2) 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Find out who the “top performers” are and study their Gong calls. The best way to get good quickly is to copy others already succeeding. Learn what they do differently; ask them questions and advice. And then, then make it your own! (3) 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆. Don’t wait to invest in relationships–they take time to build. It also is going to make your work so much more meaningful and fun. It’s easy to feel “lost” in a remote world when you don’t know anyone. (4) 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Get in front of customers as soon as possible. If you can do something in 2 weeks, why take the expected 4 weeks? The ramp period might be the only time you have as much time as you do. And when you have extra time? Instead of just taking it slow… Use 𝙖𝙣𝙮 white space in your calendar to: - Schedule intro coffees - Watch Gong recordings - Create an account POV - Learn a feature or value prop - Build a resource for the team - Practice your pitch or demo (use AI to get feedback) It’s how you build a reputation, get promoted early, and start seeing success sooner. How do we know this works? I’ve done it, we coach it, and we see it time and time again. Your future self (and comp plan) will thank you. 💪